Clash of Champions: Dubai teams have medal hopes at Inflight Dubai

Competition in the final round of the world’s richest indoor tunnel flying event begins today [Saturday, November 28].

Held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, the $200,000 Clash of Champions has attracted the world’s best skydivers with the UAE-based flyers holding their own against the cream of the sport.

The UAE could well be set for a ‘Dubai Double’ with the talented brother and sister combination of Noah and Kayleigh Wittenburg - aged just nine and eleven years-old respectively - storming ahead of their 19 rival teams in the Dynamic 2-Way Class.

Competing as Mini Maktoum, the youngsters have delighted the spectators and stunned their older rivals with some breathtaking routines that have pushed them to the top of the leaderboard on 122 points, five ahead of HF Ravens from the Czech Republic (117 points) and 13 ahead of Team Firefly (Singapore) and Windoor (Spain) with just two rounds remaining.

Meanwhile, the battle royale between Belgium’s HayaBusa and Airspeed Arizona of the USA will go right to the wire with a mere two points separating two of the world’s greatest indoor skydiving teams competing at the 2015 Clash of Champions being staged at Inflight Dubai.

After eight of ten rounds in the blue riband AAA 4-Way Formation Skydiving category, the Belgians lead on 247 points with Arizona Airspeed right on their tails on 245, despite leading after the early few rounds. Eight points adrift in third is the French foursome of Weembi Lille.

HayaBusa’s David and Andy Grauwels, Jeroen Nollet and Dennis Praet started as red-hot favourites but know they cannot afford to drop any points over the final two rounds against the challenge of their American rivals. Competing in the world’s largest tunnel for indoor flying events, the two have traded punches for eight rounds with HayaBusa winning four rounds to Airspeed’s three with one drawn.

In Dynamic 4-Way, the French flyers from Windoor Warriors lead by just three points from the Inflight Dubai Skynamic team of Simon Whittle, Dani Roman, Ryan Dudderidge and Mathew Munting who are performing heroics in their own tunnel.

“Our speed has been very good although I believe we are being judged harshly in the free routine but we’ll push on,” said Munting.

“This is only our third competition but we work and live together like brothers. We only feel the pressure we put on ourselves - we are trying to represent ourselves because we know we have the support of Inflight Dubai and the supporters.”

In the AAA 8-Way Formation Skydiving, as expected it is America’s multi-world championship winning Golden Knights who lead the way with 191 points well ahead of France Weembi (162) and the Russian team Tanay (154).

Elsewhere, Hurricane Factory Chicks from the Czech Republic lead in AA 4-Way Formation Skydiving on 144 points with Flyspot Chicks of Poland in second (139) and the UAE’s Assar Girls tied for third with Aerokart AK Demie of France on 138 points.

In the final 4-Way Formation Skydiving category for A-ranked flyers, Flying Circus (159 points) from the Czech Republic enjoy a 17-point lead over the Italian team Amnesya on 142 with SkyBlockers from Singapore holding third place on 132.
 

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